1 November 2012
Theo, Vargulf and I piled into the Impala, a supply of silver swords and crossbow bolts stashed in the trunk. We certainly made an interesting team: an ancient vampire, the worlds most hapless vampire hunter and a six-foot lycanthrope killing machine. I grinned, despite myself and wondered how a perfectly peaceful evening had turned into this insane scenario. It was the most fun I'd had in centuries.
"So," Theo started, breaking the awkward long silence, "how do we find it?"
A plume of smoke was rising in the distance, accompanied by the desperate wail of an alarm.
"Follow the trail of destruction," Vargulf grunted, pointing towards an upturned city bus. Theo pulled a hard right, tyres squealing on the damp road, setting the rising column of smoke dead ahead of us.
"Erm...Lilith," Theo said, his eyes focused on the road, "you know how to kill this Cacodaemon?"
"Of course," I smiled, "take the head off."
"As easy as that, eh?" Vargulf laughed from the back seat.
"You haven't seen it," Theo said, "it's about seven feet tall, winged and vicious. Took me out with one swipe."
"Good thing you have me then," Vargulf replied, "I'm 250lbs of vicious. I'll change if I have too. Ain't no way that daemon will out-wrestle me."
"Great," I said, "you can pin it down and I'll take it's head. I need a new centrepiece for my table."
"What about civilians?" Theo interjected, "I'm supposed to shield them from this stuff. And the authorities, what if they are already on the scene?"
"You take care of the civilians," I said, "make sure they take shelter. It might get messy out there. Leave the authorities to me I can be most...persuasive." Theo gave me a worried look, but said nothing.
"I bet you can," Vargulf said, slapping me on the shoulder with a paw-like hand, "one bite from you and they'll follow like lambs to the slaughter. If you'll forgive the metaphor."
"What?" Theo said, startled, "You can't go around snacking on Police and Firefighters!"
I was about to give a witty response when something blind-sided the Impala, sending us into a spin. I braced myself against the dashboard and I felt Vargulf's hand lock on my shoulder in shock. Theo fought to regain control, finally bringing us to a squealing stop, two tyres perched on the kerb.
"Get down," Theo shouted, slipping into the footwell. I ducked, just as a black, taloned hand smashed through the windshield, showering us with a thousand tiny fragments of glass. Vargulf scrambled over the front seats and clawed his way out onto the hood of the car. He let out a great, terrible roar as his hulking form grew and twisted into the unmistakable shape of a werewolf. His coat was a thick, shining grey, his lupine ears were tipped with white fur and his great blue eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight. With another ear-shattering roar and the squeal of claws on metal, Vargulf leapt onto the street. The already-terrified passers-by started their screaming and crying anew at the arrival of another monster into the fray.
"Theo?!" I said, pulling at his arm urgently, "lets go!"
"My car..." He said, a look of shocked chagrin on his face, "Now it's personal."
Trick Or Treat - Part Eight • Opuss № I